Villa Gaviota Baracoa

Playa Maguana is the most famous beach in an area with a wealth of beautiful beaches. I have stayed at Gaviota Villa Maguana with my wife and with Cuban friends a couple of times. The price is around $70 a night depending on season. The staff are friendly and the rooms in the 2 story wood villas are very comfortable. The hotel is located on a coral point with a small white sand beach out front. The main beach at Maguana can be accessed through a small gate on the west side of the property. There you can find a couple of local bar/cafes etc. and can arrange for a dinner of fish or spit-roasted pork from the locals for $8 or less. The bars and food at Maguana Beach are better and a lot less expensive than Villa Maguana. As far as I know there are no legal private houses to stay at near here but you can stay in the town of Baracoa and take a cab here for much less than staying at the hotel. You can't beat it for convenience though. If you are adventurous, there are many hidden beaches in this area that you can enjoy in solitude. The main complaint I had with this hotel was the price and poor quality of the food (think fish that tastes like it has been in the freezer too long). Otherwise it is a relaxing place to stay.

We had been lead to believe this was in Baracoa.. it is actually outside of Baracoa and takes about an hour to get there along a VERY bad road. We had to pay $50 each direction to get there from Baracoa, so if you want to check out the city I recommend you find somewhere in the city itself and don't use this place as your base. The hotel is really small and there's not much to it. Although the rooms are very nice for Cuba, and it sits along a bluff by the sea, the villa we were in did not face the sea even though it could have, but faced the outdoor dinner area.. how strange! There is a VERY small beach (almost gone at high tide) which is private to the hotel, though often locals come walking past. There is no direct path to the Maguana beach nearby, so one must go up to the road a ways to visit it. It is visible from the hotel and full of lots of locals. The water was quite wavy and not so clear when we tried snorkeling. If I had known what I was getting I would not have come here. It is very isolated; there is no ATM out there, little choice in drinks etc.

Reference to to the review from MadziaJ from Poland. I do believe they got the wrong hotel. I spent time there last March of 2008 and 2010, at the Hotel Maguana, run by Gaviota. They also operate two other hotels in Baracoa, namely, Porto Santo and El Castillo, which are also excellent. They also operate numerous other hotels in the whole country of Cuba. Madzia probably got out of his/her taxi/bus/auto at the main beach in Maguana. There are a couple of buildings there, one of which is a restaurant/bar and the other a bit farther away to the left is a bit larger, where rooms can be rented. True enough, this is not a luxurious place, however, good for backpackers and hikers, etc. Good enough for an overnighter. Very natural setting, with animals running around like pigs and chickens running freely. Quite amusing to see and photograph. The food is good too, try the charcoal barbecued langusta or pargo, or any other fish taken from the sea by the locals.. This has to be the place he/she is talking about. This is NOT the Playa Maguana Hotel run by Gaviota. To find this hotel, they should have asked around. Next time, walk straight to the beach from your vehicle and look to your right (Easterly) In the far distance you should see very bright colours of white and burnt orange. Start walking, for about 1.5 Kilometres. That is the hotel where you may register and for a fee, use their beautiful hidden beach, bar serving ice-cold drinks , restaurant with very good meals and you may even rent a room if any are available. The people are great; as are the people on the main beach where you disembarked as they are all Cuban and very welcoming. When you arrive you will be welcomed by Elvis at the main office. Daniel will serve you ice-cold drinks and good food also. All of the staff are great. The rooms are very well appointed with Air conditioning in each room and a view of the the ocean. A beautiful tropical paradise sort of place, practically the same view that Christopher Columbus saw back in 1492. Too bad you missed this hotel MabziaJ. p.s. Hoping to see the same crew again when I return next March.